Princess Sophie of Greece and Denmark

Princess Sophie of Greece and Denmark was the fourth child and youngest daughter of Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark and Princess Alice of Battenberg. She was also the sister of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. She was born on 26 June 1914 at Mon Repos, a royal villa on the island of Corfu in Greece. She had four siblings: Margarita, Theodora, Cecilie and Philip. Sophie spent her childhood in Greece, but her family had to flee the country twice due to political turmoil. The first time was in 1917, when her father was accused of treason and exiled by the revolutionary government. The family moved to Switzerland, where Sophie attended a boarding school. The second time was in 1922, after the defeat of Greece in the Greco-Turkish War. The family settled in France, where Sophie continued her education and developed an interest in music and archaeology. In 1930, Sophie married her distant cousin Prince Christoph of Hesse, a member of the German nobility and a Nazi supporter. They moved to Berlin and had five children: Christina, Dorothea, Karl, Rainer and Clarissa. Sophie became involved in Nazi circles and befriended Hermann Göring’s wife Emmy Sonnemann. She also joined the National Socialist Women’s League in 1938. She saw Adolf Hitler as a charming and modest man who could restore Germany’s glory. She served as an unofficial intermediary between Nazi Germany and the European royal families to which she was related. Sophie’s life changed dramatically during World War II. Her husband Christoph was killed in a plane crash in 1943 while serving in the Luftwaffe. Her brother-in-law Prince Philip fought against Germany as a naval officer in the British Royal Navy. Her sister Cecilie and her family died in another plane crash in 1937 while travelling to a wedding in London. Sophie herself was arrested by the Gestapo in 1944 for allegedly plotting against Hitler with her brother-in-law Prince Christoph of Hesse-Kassel. She was released after a few days and moved to Bavaria with her children. After the war, Sophie faced public criticism for her Nazi connections. She was interrogated by the Allies and denounced by some members of her own family. She tried to rebuild her life and reputation by engaging in humanitarian work and supporting various charities. In 1946, she married her second husband Prince George William of Hanover, another distant cousin and a grandson of Kaiser Wilhelm II. They had three children: Welf Ernst, Georg and Friederike. They lived in Hanover until 1965, when they moved to Schliersee in Bavaria. Sophie maintained a close relationship with her brother Philip throughout her life. She attended his wedding to Princess Elizabeth in 1947 and his coronation as Duke of Edinburgh in 1953. She also visited him regularly in Britain and accompanied him on some official trips abroad. She was fond of her niece Queen Elizabeth II and her nephew Prince Charles. She also had a good rapport with Princess Diana, whom she described as “very charming”. Sophie died on 24 November 2001 at the age of 87 in Schliersee. She was buried next to her second husband in the local cemetery. She was the last surviving child of Prince Andrew and Princess Alice and the last surviving sister of Prince Philip. She was also the last living person who had met Adolf Hitler in person.